‘Didn’t play cricket after IPL injury and directly made India debut’: Mayank Yadav reflects on four-month recovery period

Speedster Mayank Yadav cranked up the pace on his India debut in the first T20I against Bangladesh in Gwalior on Sunday, beginning his international career with a maiden and a wicket in his second over.

Mayank’s pacy outing in international colours ended with figures of 1/21 in four overs, his first competitive outing since an IPL 2024 fixture for Lucknow Super Giants in April. Mayank was setting the IPL ablaze with his manic speeds, touching 156.7kph during a league-stage match, one of the fastest deliveries ever by an Indian in the tournament.

However, the Delhi quick’s season was restricted to four games before a side strain ruled him out of action for a considerable period. Interestingly, Mayank’s return after exhaustive rehab programs at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) was charted directly through a T20I, without any domestic games.

Advertisement

“I was indeed excited but was a bit more nervous. This series marked my comeback after the injury. I didn’t play competitive cricket and then directly made my debut. That’s why I was a little more nervous,” Yadav told Jio Cinema after the match.

“The recovery period was tough for more. Quite a lot of ups and downs were there in the last 4 months. But more than me, it was tougher for the people who worked with me,” he added.

The 22-year-old insisted that speed was not his solitary goal on debut. “Today I focused more on my body. Also, I was determined to hit the proper lengths instead of bowling faster. I didn’t think about my speed. I just tried leaking the least runs possible and bowling at a proper line and length.

“I did bowl the slower ones in the IPL as well but not much. I had a word with my captain and he asked me to rely on my stalk ball more than trying out variations. But coming to Gwalior, the wicket didn’t have much bounce so I changed my pace accordingly,” he remarked.

Advertisement

Gambhir’s backing

Mayank added that head coach Gautam Gambhir urged him to keep things simple with the ball.

“Nothing extra, he asked me to stick to the basics and do the things that have yielded positive results for me in the past. He asked me not to think much about trying different things or even think that it was an international game. Following the process was the key,” Yadav explained.

Click here to read article